SVG image not shown by Firefox

Lusotec

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Feb 25, 2009, 1:43:08 PM2/25/09

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I'm developing a remote XUL application and it is mostly done. I'm now in
the beautifying phase and would like to use SVG images.

The problem is that Firefox does *not* show SVG images with <html:img>,
<xul:image>, <button image="">, CSS background-image, etc. Strangely, it
shows the SVG images if the image URL is put in the address bar.

Am I wrong in expecting Firefox to treat a SVG file like an image?

Next are two minimal test cases, one in HTML and the other in XUL. As a side
note, Opera shows the SVG image in the HTML test case.

=====================================
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<?xml-stylesheet href="chrome://global/skin/" type="text/css"?>
<window
xmlns="http://www.mozilla.org/keymaster/gatekeeper/there.is.only.xul">
<button image="image.svg" label="test" /> 
<image src="image.svg"/>

<button image="image.png" label="test" /> 
<image src="image.png"/> 
</window>
=====================================

=====================================
<html>
<head><title></title></head>
<body>
<img src="image.svg" /> 
<img src="image.png" /> 
</body>
</html>
=====================================

Boris Zbarsky

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Feb 25, 2009, 2:11:14 PM2/25/09

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Lusotec wrote:
> The problem is that Firefox does *not* show SVG images with <html:img>,
> <xul:image>, <button image="">, CSS background-image, etc

Correct.

> Strangely, it shows the SVG images if the image URL is put in the address bar.

Or in an iframe, or <object>. We treat SVG as documents, not images.

> Am I wrong in expecting Firefox to treat a SVG file like an image?

No; it's just not implemented yet. Note that when it is SVG images and
SVG documents won't have quite the same behavior.

-Boris

Lusotec

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Feb 25, 2009, 2:18:54 PM2/25/09

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Boris Zbarsky wrote:

> Lusotec wrote:
>> Am I wrong in expecting Firefox to treat a SVG file like an image?
>
> No; it's just not implemented yet. Note that when it is SVG images and
> SVG documents won't have quite the same behavior.

SVG file being handled like an image is what I expect when using <html:img>,
<xul:image>, CSS/background-image, etc. I would expect this to be easier to
implement than SVG as a document, especially since SVG drawing is already
in Firefox. When an image is what is expected just convert SVG to a
properly sized bitmap and be done with it.

Regards.

Boris Zbarsky

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Feb 25, 2009, 2:40:28 PM2/25/09

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Lusotec wrote:
> When an image is what is expected just convert SVG to a
> properly sized bitmap and be done with it.

That would actually give the wrong behavior, so no, we don't plan to do
that.

-Boris

Lusotec

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Feb 25, 2009, 3:08:32 PM2/25/09

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I'm curious, what is the right behavior? I looked for Mozilla SVG plans but
the most recent I found was a few years old. Can you point me to up to date
Mozilla SVG plans?

Regards.

Boris Zbarsky

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Feb 25, 2009, 3:20:25 PM2/25/09

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Lusotec wrote:
> Boris Zbarsky wrote:
>> Lusotec wrote:
>>> When an image is what is expected just convert SVG to a
>>> properly sized bitmap and be done with it.
>> That would actually give the wrong behavior, so no, we don't plan to do
>> that.
>
> I'm curious, what is the right behavior?

Scaling as a vector image when scaled, for example.

> I looked for Mozilla SVG plans but the most recent I found was a few years old. Can you point me to up to date
> Mozilla SVG plans?

No idea. If you search in bugzilla you can find the bug on supporting
SVG in <html:img>, though.

-Boris